Dinner set dream ends

WANTED: UK woman Lynne Abbess is searching for a Noritake Katrina dinner service that was advertised on Trade Me from a seller in Timaru. The auction has expired.

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A British woman's dream of adding to her dinner set - a family heir loom - through a Timaru TradeMe trader will not be realised for now.

Lynne Abbess, of London, was hoping to get her hands on a complete eight-place setting advertised by a Timaru trader on the online auction site. She came across the expired listing while searching and was trying to make contact.

However the seller, who wanted to be known only as Philip, said the pieces were sold six months ago. They were a "family possession", and had been in the family about 30 years, he said.

He declined to say how much the dinner set sold for.

Hunt on for Timaru online seller

A British woman is seeking out an online trader believed to be from Timaru who is selling pieces from a dinner set.

Lynne Abbess, of London, said she had come across a Trade Me item by "someone called Philip who lives in Timaru" advertising a dinner service she has been trying to get her hands on.

"It matches a cherished dinner service I inherited from my parents who died a few years ago and I am now looking for some extra place settings," Mrs Abbess said.

"Philip advertised exactly what I need - a complete eight-place setting, which apparently is unused in a box.

"He says he bought it from Dunedin and that one setting was removed from the box for display purposes, so I wonder if he might have a shop selling china."

She hoped an article in The Timaru Herald might help track "Philip" down.

The dinner service holds many memories for Mrs Abbess of the family home in Kent where she grew up.

"The dinner service was one used by our parents for special occasions; when they were entertaining and at Christmas.

"As my mother died, sadly very young, 26 years ago, it is older than that, and I actually inherited it when the house was sold following my father's death."

Her parents frequently entertained.

"The house was full of warm memories - lots of laughter, delicious food and wonderful cooking aromas - so the dinner service is of course associated with those memories."

The only problem was the dining table expanded to seat 16, "which is why we need the extra place settings".

"I've been keeping my eye open for several years, but as the style has been discontinued, generally there are only odd pieces available to buy."

She had tried to register for Trade Me, but as she did not have a New Zealand post code was unable to.